? Jacksonville’s Daily News calls NC taxpayers the losers in a dispute between the state auditor and the ethics commission over a fired state employee and accusations of favoritism to Beverly Perdue’s campaign.

? Both Perdue and Elizabeth Dole claim to have helped saved NC’s military bases during the recent BRAC process, but the N&O says its hard to quantify how much they affected the process.

? The Robin Hayes-Larry Kissell rematch in the 8th Congressional District is ramping up, with Kissell counting on “energy from the last election” to push him over the top and Hayes planning a major campaign push in October after the congressional adjournment.

? State and national officials weigh in on offshore drilling, an issue playing a significant role in both the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races. Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre and state House Minority Leader Skip Stam extol the virtues of drilling here and blame most spills on tankers from abroad. The Sierra Club says it is opposed to sweeping change but it could “tolerate some drilling.? Gee, thanks.